This invention relates to a method of obtaining fixation of different portions of the musculoskeletal system by a power driven fastening device.
Staples are currently used in orthopedic surgery for fixation of bones, for example, in osteotomy of the tibia. However, the staples are conventionally applied with a holder and are hammered into the bone. This allows for motion to occur at the site of staple insertion, loosening of the staple, and loss of firm fixation to the bone.
Staples are also being used to attach or reattach a ligament or a tendon to a bone. These staples are also hammered into the bone, and the same problem of motion loosens the attachment between the staple and the bone. This results in poor fixation of the tendon or ligament to the bone.
According to the invention, a power stable gun is used to drive the staple into bone quickly while minimizing the type of motion between the staple and bone which causes loosening of the staple. My method applies the staples easier, faster, and in a more secure manner than other methods and also minimizes the amount of cutting and stripping of soft tissue that is required before the staples can be driven. The method thereby reduces the risk of bone death, infection, and non-union of fractures and allows for fixation of bone fragments without an external fixation device. The power driven staples can be used for fixation of metaphyseal fractures, for arthrodesis or fusion of two bones, and for attachment of tendons or ligaments to bone. The invention also includes attaching a bone plate to a bone by a power rivet device. The rivets are fastened to only one cortex of the bone, and the plate can be attached quickly and without drilling through the other cortex.